


Recompense

by Winterne



Series: The Sol Legacy [1]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Angst, Backstory, Battle Meditation, F/M, Light Side Jedi Knight, Light Side Sith Warrior, Loneliness, Minor Character Death, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-01-06 03:59:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12203451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winterne/pseuds/Winterne
Summary: A series of short stories from the perspective of my Jedi Knight, Reytte Sol, in a vaguely chronological order. They will, for the most part, not be part of the main class storyline cause its spicier that way. I'm bad at descriptions, but its more exciting than it sounds?Please be nice, this is my first post!





	1. Early Days

“Rey, I love you. Whatever happens, I will always love you.”

Her stark Kaas accent cut through the noise of the battle around them as time stood still for a moment. She didn’t remember much of her mother; her shaved white hair, her simple brown battle armour and her deep red eyes, the same colour as her skin now. She was too young to understand what that meant.

She remembers the rest in flashes.

The screaming of the engines comes next, then the ship lurching towards the planet’s surface. The force of it shocked her, she remembers. The fear in her mother’s voice shocked her more. She had never said “I love you”, never shown any type of emotion like this. She was Sith after all.

“Reytte, look at me,” Her mother pleaded, “When she comes for me, don’t look. I don’t want you to see. Do you understand?”

Her red eyes pierced me. Before I could reply, the ship shuddered and she moved to the console, punching buttons in a desperate attempt to save them from crashing.

The next thing she remembers is the pain, blood all over her, the seats and her mother. She’s coated in it. She looks her straight in the eye.

“Goodbye, my love”

She could feel her mother’s pain. Not just the physical, but the mental. She tore off the door with great effort and walked away from the wreck, not looking back. The Jedi woman was already waiting, lightsaber drawn. Her mother drew her lightsaber, and Reytte can’t remember any more. Her mother had told her not to look, so she had not.

The next thing she remembers is deafening noise, high-pitched and unrelenting. Rey stood up from the wreck. She hadn’t known where it was coming from, but she sensed the Jedi walk towards her. She hadn’t seen her mother’s defeat, but she had known it was over. She had felt it. The Jedi moved swiftly towards her, but something stopped her, as Reytte held her arms out, feeling power and anger surge through her as she screamed with all she had. The ground shook, and wind rushed past her. The Jedi slowed, fighting the wind.  She held out her hand and the shaking stopped. Reytte suddenly felt no urge to fight, as a calmness she had never felt overtook her. She couldn’t fight the feeling, she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to. It was then that she knew the screaming had been coming from her.

“It’s okay, child. Breathe, please. All will be okay.”

She felt the calm irradiate off the Jedi, like a light in the darkness. She felt… serene. She had never felt it in all her life. She fell to her knees, and tears fell from her eyes.

“Who are you?” The Jedi said. She felt compelled to answer, though she did not understand why. Her mother had told her never to talk to the Jedi. They only told lies. But how could someone who felt so light inside lie?

“Reytte Sol.” She answered.

The Jedi looked stunned.

“Daughter of the Wrath… This is… unexpected. Well, Reytte, why don’t you come with me? We’ll get you fixed up, and you can stay with me and my friends. A new home for you.”

She pulled out a holocommunicator and taped away at it.

“But my mother,” She became frantic at the thought of her leaving her mother. She had known it would be the last time she would see her mother. The shaking began again, and her vision went red. The calm that the Jedi had given her fizzled away.

“Hush, child, everything will be okay,” She said, as she put her hand on her shoulder. Warmth spread through her, and instantly her fears were washed away. She felt calm, “It’s okay, your mother will understand. We will take her with us. My name is Satele, Reytte. I’m a Jedi. I’ll take good care of you.”

“My mother said that all Jedi are liars.”

“Did she now? Would you believe me if I said that some Sith lie too?”

She had no response.

“Now, Reytte, I’m going to help you get some rest whilst I fly us somewhere safe. Sleep.” She commanded, and she felt a drowsy feeling overcome her. She tried to fight the feeling.

“Mother…”

She lost the fight.

~~~

Her memory fades of what happens next. She doesn’t remember much of the flight to Coruscant. Master Shan helped her sleep for most of the flight, although one conversation in particular she does remember.

“How old are you, Reytte?”

“I’m five, Master Jedi.”

“Too young to experience such a loss… How are you feeling?”

The thought of her mother made her feel queasy again.

“I miss her,” Rey said simply, but she didn’t really know how she felt. Everything had happened so fast. One moment they were sitting happily in their home on Tatooine, next they were rushing towards the spaceport so fast she had no idea what was going on. So fast that when she lost sight of her sister, her mother barely noticed.

“ _Caenys has always been independent. We have no time to stop and find her now. She can survive on her own_ ” Her mother had said when she cried.

Rey had heard stories of what happened to children who got lost in the Dune Sea; eaten by the Sarclacc, stolen by the Tuskan Raiders and sold on as a slave, or worse, found by the Republic. She didn’t want that to happen to her sister.

She wasn’t entirely sure of the tales her mother had told her about the Republic were true anymore. Mother had told her that they were cruel, relentlessly attacking the Empire at no provocation and without remorse, just like Master Shan had earlier, but her mother had told her they murdered children and strung them up as warnings to others, and Master Satele definitely hadn’t done that. She helped her sleep, reassured her, taken her with her to safety. Could Mother have been wrong?

Master Satele’s voice broke through her thoughts.

“I know you do, child, but it will get better with time. We will help you.”

“My mother said you were cannibals!” She blurted, “…Are you going to eat me, Master Jedi?” She edged away slightly.

“Goodness me, of course not! We will take care of you Reytte, give you a new home. It is the way of the Jedi.”

“My mother said that the way of the Jedi was to kill…” She said, unconvinced.

Satele walks away from the ship’s console and kneels next to her to look her in the eyes.

“Take my word, not everything your mother told you was true.” She said, placing an arm on her shoulder. “Now, tell me, where did you get this calling me ‘Master Jedi’ from?” She questioned.

“The main said it on the holo…”

“I wasn’t aware you were awake, you must tell me next time. We have so much we can do, you mustn’t waste your time pretending to be asleep,” She chastised.

“I’m sorry, Master Jedi. My mother always got angry at me when I overheard her calls,” She worried she had angered her, and finally the Jedi that her mother had told her about would appear and eat her.

“You must never be afraid of me Rey. I will never be angry at you.”

~~~

Her next memory is a few days later, of the council chambers, or rather, the outside of them. The door was shut tight, and she could hear nothing of what was being discussed inside. The masters had insisted she stay outside, but she didn’t understand why. She just wanted to know what was going on, and Satele had made it clear that she wanted her to know what was going on. She pressed her ear to the door in an attempt to hear what was going on inside.

“You know if they catch you like that they definitely won’t take you in,” A voice said from behind her. She jumped from the door, and acted like she hadn’t been listening.

“Is that what they’re talking about?” She asked, hesitantly. Her mother had taught her not to trust strangers, but Satele had told her that we shouldn’t judge others so quickly. On the way to Coruscant she had told Reytte stories of the Jedi of old. Surely she wouldn’t have done that just to kick her out into the streets.

The boy, as he was, pushed off from the wall he leaned against. He stood taller than her, but it was clear he was no than a teenager. He wore a red leather jacket, and simple black pants. Something about his face seemed similar, but she knew no one in the Republic.

“What else would they be talking about? You’re clearly Imperial, your accent gives it away. Pure Dromund Kaas,” He walked over to her, a cocky confidence evident in his step, “Your dad a sith? That’s the only reason that they would hesitate I guess. Although they did hesitate with me too. My mum’s a Jedi… if you could even call her that.”

“…a Jedi?” I asked, confused. He spoke quickly, as if he didn’t even need to breathe.

“No, a mother. She wasn’t… isn’t exactly attentive. Hence me waiting for her,” He spoke with an eloquence that made her doubt he was still a child, but no, he was too small to be much older than her, “So what is it? Dad a Sith?”

“No… At least I don’t think so. I don’t know. My mother is a Sith… was a Sith. She was the Lord Wrath. Darth Solus.”

“You’re the Wrath’s daughter? The Legacy of the Empire? Wow… I’m shocked. The reports say you died…”

“What reports? Why do you get to look at reports?” I said, confused. He was only a child, why did he get to know things like that.

“I don’t. I’m just very good at finding things that I’m not supposed to know. You wanna know how I find out what happens in the council chambers?”

He looked suspicious, one eyebrow raised high, and a smirk plastered across his face. She knew she shouldn’t say yes. But the boy in front of her was older, and she didn’t want to say no to him. His eyes were bright yellow, and seemed to stare right into her soul. She couldn’t say no.

“Okay,” She replied.

He smiled, grabbed her by the hand, and started pulling her down corridors. She had no clue where she was going, and all the corridors looked the same to her. The same shade of orange, the same carpets, the same chandelier. How people navigated this place, she didn’t know. They walked past a room full of children just older than she was, knelt to the floor. Rey slipped her arm from the boy’s and stood by the door. Waves of calm overcame her, and she could almost see the light coming from the room. She moved towards them, like a fly towards a light.

“Where are you going, Sol?”

She had never felt such calm in her life. Surrounded by her mother and the few other people she’d seen in her life, she had only ever seen Sith. Their anger buzzed off them faintly wherever they went. On Dromund Kaas, the feeling is constant. When she moved to Tatooine to keep her and her sister safe, the feeling became fainter, but ever present, especially in the presence of her mother. When she left, around Satele she felt calm, serene, but nothing like this.

“Sol… Sol!” The boy shouted.

The words broke her from the trance.

“I’m sorry, I just… They’re so… calm,”

“Infuriating isn’t it,” He said, starting to walk off.

“No… Not at all.” She said quietly, sneaking one last glance at the room before following him up the stairs to the right of the room.

“Got to keep an eye on you, you’re just as slippery as me,” He said, grabbing her hand again, “You can’t wander off, otherwise they’ll know we’ve left. You’re not supposed to see this place. You could be a spy.”

“Then why are you taking me around if you think I’m a spy.”

“You’re not a spy, you’re too stupid to be a spy. Plus, you have no idea where you are, how could you be a spy?”

“That’s… that’s rude!” She huffed.

“Indeed it was. What’s your name, Sol?” He asked. They walked up another set of stairs, then down another set, into a darker set of corridors.

“Reytte. My mother called me Rey, though. What’s your name?” She replied.

“I prefer Sol. Sounds fierce. My name’s… Kal Morrow.” He said, but something surrounded him, a strange feeling of unease, it felt exactly like how she felt when she lied.

“…That’s not your name is it?” She hesitated.

“No. A good spy never uses his real name,” He winked, as he pulled her to stop, “Almost there now, just one last bit.”

He quickly looked around before pulling the grate above his head down. He pulled himself up into the chute behind it and held a hand down to her.

“Up you come,” He said, as she grabbed on and tried to pull herself up.

“Where are we going?” The chute was pitch black, and all she had to go on was the noise of the boy in front of her. The chute was a tight fit for him, but she was smaller. It was much easier for her.

“The chute comes out on a balcony above the council. Usually its keycard access but this way, we can get in anyway. Hopefully, if we’re quiet and keep low they won’t notice we’re there.” She could hear the sound of metal on metal as light flooded into the chute. The shape of him in front of her disappeared as he crawled out into the balcony. She followed cautiously. The balcony overlooked the chambers as he had said, but she hadn’t expected it to be so big. They were inside a large dome, and when she looked up she could see a glass roof, letting in light from above.

“Wow… Are you sure this is okay?” She worried.

“Of course it’s okay, don’t worry.” He said calmly, although she could feel the same lying feeling around him again.

“You’re lying to me again!” She shouted.

“Shush, Rey, they’ll hear us. We’re here now, we’ll just have to listen. Now be quiet,” He whispered.

“Okay…” She grumbled.

She peered over the edge of the balcony to see a large semicircle of chairs below. All of the seats were inhabited by people, both holographic and real. They looked… strange. Not many were human, a far cry from what life had been like in the Empire. She did not recognise the species of many of them. She looked to the center of the room and saw Satele.

“I understand your hesitation, Masters, but can we truly turn this child who has no family in the universe without even giving her a chance?” She sounded unhappy, not the calm person Rey had known so far.

“But do you really understand our hesitation, Satele?” One of the masters rebuked. He was twi’lek, she believed. Her mother’s slave had been Twi’lek. He looked old, tired, wrinkles showing in his skin. “She’s the daughter of one of the greatest Sith to have ever lived! They call her the Legacy of the Empire for crying out loud! She bears the last name Sol. We cannot let anyone of that name to enter our academy, they have already cost us so much. Her eyes, Satele… They’re already yellow. She will be Sith, just like her mother.”

“Are you so narrow-minded as to think that the child must pay for the sins of their parents, Master Akura?” Another master spoke up this time, human this time. “We are Jedi, you must remember this. Do not act in fear. The child is but five, she is not set in her ways. We must take her to be trained in private. Perhaps Ossus?”

“Master Zho is right, we cannot turn our backs on her. She is not her mother, but she may be if we do not help her. I second your proposal.” Another master chimed in. Then another, and another, until all but one agreed. All but one.

“Master? Surely you must see our position now?” Master Zho probed.

“Perhaps, Zho. We can try. Take her to Ossus. But she must not have any more contact with Jedi Shan here. You’ve already grown attached, and stars know you’ve already broken that rule too many times, Shan.”

“Thank you, Master. You won’t regret this.” She made to leave the room.

“Young one, why don’t you come down from there so we can have a talk,”

She froze.

“Child, you know I speak of you. It is okay, you’re not in trouble.” Zho called up to her on the balcony. He turned to Satele, “Go bring them down won’t you? We can’t have them scrambling around the vents again.”

“Busted. Guess you weren’t quiet enough, Sol. You’d never make a good agent.” The boy said to her.

“Actually, Theron, you’re the one who gave you two away. Still got some ways to go on your spy ways. Now come down here, I need to speak to young Reytte there.”

She stifled a laugh, and he turned to her, scowling.

“You’re not supposed to call me by my name…” He grumbled.

The door behind them slid open and Satele appeared.

“Theron, go wait for me in the meditation room, I have to talk to Rey.” She said, clearly unhappy.

“Always work first…” He grumbled, stalking off behind her.

Satele lowered herself onto her knees in front of Rey.

“I’m sure you heard what Master Zho said. After I drop you down with him, I won’t see you again for a long time. I’m sorry it has to be this way, Rey, but it’s for the best. You’ll understand. Let’s go on down now.” She reached out for Rey’s hand, and walked her through the familiar orange halls back down to the council chambers. It seemed Theron had taken them the long way around, as right outside was a staircase to take them back down to the chambers. Satele let go of her hand once they reached the antechamber.

“Goodbye, Rey. Good luck, and may the Force be with you.”

“Goodbye Master Jedi.”

She smiled at Rey, and left.

“Come in, Reytte.” Master Zho said from behind her. She followed the voice into the council chambers. All the masters sat waiting for her.


	2. Ossus

The trip to Ossus was long and lonely. She had but herself and the silent Knight for company, and that was with a loose definition of company. The masters had told her she may find her training a shock, but she was ready, willing to start. All she had to do was get through were the seven days’ journey to do it but staring at the great expanse of space for a week had made her bored to say the least, but patience was the virtue of a Jedi. She didn’t truly understand the beauty of space yet, and even if she had, a full week of staring at something doesn’t exactly help fascinate you with it.

The ship was tiny, and that didn’t help her patience at all. Sparse and unkind, the silvery walls stared back at her if she looked long enough at them, and she definitely had enough time for that. Seven days was a long time for a five year old, and after a life time stuck in apartments, waiting for her mother to come home, she was ready to do something.

But for now she was just bored. Hopelessly bored. The Jedi was no help to her, just staying in her room, completely silent. She could barely feel her presence at all, as if she’d sunk away into another world. Or maybe she was so boring she’d finally dropped dead. She had gone into her room once, encouraged by Satele’s kind nature towards her, hoping that perhaps she would show the same kindness and help entertain her, but she got a stern face and a shut door. That just made her feel even more impatient. When the Jedi wasn’t in her room, she was in holomeetings, which of course Reytte wasn’t allowed in. It was clear to her that the Jedi didn’t trust her.

Still, she found ways to amuse herself on the way, mostly in the form of reading holobooks which she had found left waiting for her on the shuttle. A note left with them told her they were from Satele.

_Good luck in your new life, youngling. May the Force be with you._

She wished Satele were there to guide her, but she pushed that feeling away and tried to adjust for the massive culture shock she to come.

~~~

The yards were full of young Jedi practicing meditation and lightsaber forms when she landed. The Jedi population was quite sizable on Ossus, she had noticed. She hoped that this would maybe help her arrival be a little covert, but her arrival caused quite a fuss. Even as she walked off the shuttle, she could feel the eyes of the practicing padawans turn towards her. They stared and scowled at her, and as others noticed, the feeling of their eyes on her grew. She sensed their unease, even hatred from some. A few brave souls shouted at her, much to the disapproval of the master who had met them when they landed. They always kept quiet whilst they were present, but when they left their true faces were revealed.

 “Yellow eyes,” They called her, “Sith!”

She had just arrived and yet it was clear to her that she was not welcome here either. The feeling of belonging she had found when she had been accepted faded away everytime they shouted at her. She wanted to hide away in the temple. She often did.

One day, a few months into her life on Ossus, she thought she had finally settled in. The regularly scheduled insults had died down a little, or at least she had gotten used to it. But this day was different. Much to her disdain, she had been moved to a group of younglings with a higher ability. The masters congratulated her on this, but she wasn’t happy. The move just made them hate her more. Although her eyes had faded, no longer the sharp yellow they had been previously, all they saw was a Sith doing better than them.

They were learning how to levitate rocks, which was simple enough to her. She and her mother on one of the rare occasions she had spent time with her, had practiced this with her. The others were struggling.

“Well done, Youngling Sol.” Their instructor had told her. She felt the stares of her class mates bore into the back of her head.

Later, during their free time, she was caught alone in the grounds. They circled her, surrounded her, and stared down on her. She had been a small child, so they towered high above her. It wasn’t just those in her class this time. There were younglings, even padawans, which she didn’t recognise. She tried to block their insults out and ignore them, go into her own little world, but the older padawans began to pelt her stones and rocks, a strange and painful kind of irony.

“Hey fuzzballs!” A female youngling shouted. She held a practice saber in her hands, a clear sign to them of her status. She was well above them, very advanced with her training.

The younglings and padawans around her stopped throwing the stones at her for a second to look at who had insulted them.

“What do you want?” One of the ring leaders said.

“How about you pick on someone your own size?” She said, igniting her practice saber. The younger children took a step back in fear, but the elders stood their ground.

“What’s your problem, Carsen? She’s Sith. She doesn’t belong.” He replied.

“Sith? She’s more Jedi than any one of you, picking on her. Run, before I tell the masters. That’ll teach you.”

They scatter, knowing that the masters certainly wouldn’t approve of this. The girl moves towards her.

“Hey, name’s Kira. You’re Reytte Sol, right?”

“Yes. Thank you, I wasn’t sure I could take much more of that.”

“Don’t worry, they won’t touch you now. If they bother you, come find me, I’ll sort them out.”

Three months in, and finally someone had shown her some kindness.

~~~

She was numb as she left Ossus. The huge, unbearable loss of life meant she could feel nothing, say nothing, do nothing, but just sit there, _feeling_. She had never felt so guilty. All those dead Jedi… younglings, barely starting off in their journey in the Force, all dead because of her. Nothing she could do now would ever make up for that.

They took her back to Coruscant after the attack. Presumably to discuss whether to throw her out, just like last time she had been taken there. She couldn’t blame them really, she knew it was the logical choice.

Kira, her first real friend, could only stare at her as if she had grown a third head. Every time she tried to look back, she quickly moved her gaze away. She thought that it was her fault, Rey knew. She wanted to talk about it all with someone, to try and let out all the pain she held within, but she didn’t deserve that. She had lead them to Ossus, and even if it was unknowingly, she had caused the death of thousands of Jedi. The Sith had told her that she was the reason they had found the temple on Ossus. _We’re here to claim back the Empire’s Legacy_ , they said. When she refused, they killed more and more, till she couldn’t take it. She felt them all, all the deaths, even now, hours after they had stopped breathing.

They had been made to share rooms, something about supporting themselves in hard times, but she didn’t think anything she could give would help. She had already done too much.

On their third day on the ship, as she was getting ready to sleep, Kira spoke again for the first time since the attack.

“Thank you.” She said simply, as they were getting ready to sleep. She looked her in the eyes again. It was refreshing. No one really wanted to talk to her at the moment. No one really talked at all.

Rey was lost for words at what she said.

_Thank you? Thanks for what?_

“And before you can blame yourself, Rey, it wasn’t your fault. You’ve been here 6 years, and not so much as a scout party. They’ve never been so bold before…”

She lowered her eyes to the floor, too afraid to look Kira in the eyes. She could see the scar they had left on her. _Her fault._

“Low profile? Is that what they call fighting with other younglings? Getting them thrown out?” She said weakly. _There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no passion, there is serenity,_ she tried to repeat in her mind, but the words weren’t helping anymore.

“None of that was your fault. Fighting with that stupid, cocky padawan hardly helped them find your force signature, they found you because they know who you are. That’s not your fault.”

“Why am I here, Kira?” She mumbled. She looked up from the floor again, as Kira moved across the room towards her.

“You’re here to be a Jedi, Rey. And you will be. You’re far better than I or any of the others.”

“Hundreds are dead... I can’t-”

“Then use them to fuel you. You’re doing this for them, to give the Sith a piece of your mind, to save lives to make up for those on Ossus.”

Kira moved closer to her and put her hand on her shoulder. She smiled sadly at her, trying to reassure her that she was right.

“You’re going to be a Jedi. Don’t let this stop you.” She said. Rey smiled faintly back at her. Kira had always known how to reassure her, “Come on, let’s get some rest.”

~~~

“You’ve grown.” A voice calls from behind her, familiar but somehow foreign, deeper than she had once known. She feels through the Force for the presence of its owner.

“Theron.” She realises. She turns to see him leaned against the wall, just as he had those years ago. His signature pose. She smiled a little, happy to see a friend. She needed friends more now than ever. “You look older. And you sound… strange.”

“Well, gee, thanks.” He grumbled, pushing off from the wall to walk over to her. He wore the same red jacket and black trousers he had back then. They were a crime against her eyes, but she tried not to focus on that.

“What are you doing here?”

He was a bad influence, she had realised since she had last met him. Last time they had met all those years ago, they’d snuck into a council meeting. Still, he had shown her kindness when others wouldn’t, and she certainly would return the favour. Plus, everyone needed someone to lead them astray a little. She couldn’t help that she was a little fascinated by him.

“Here to see my mum again, what else? I heard what you did though, Sol. That was… I don’t know what to say. Amazing? A miracle? I… Wow.”

She shies away from the compliment.

“Thanks, I guess,” She dismisses, “I didn’t… really do anything. I mean, I’m the reason they came to Ossus, I wouldn’t have had to do anything if I hadn’t lead them there in the first place.”

“I really doubt you lead them there, Sol. I don’t know, maybe they just sensed your great potential…  or… something? I’m not good with all this force stuff.” He paused for a second, trying to remember what he was trying to say “Still, you should be proud. You saved a lot of lives.” He looked her in the eyes with a serious look, trying to reassure. She smiled and looked away. She couldn’t look people in the eyes right now. The eyes are the windows to the soul, supposedly, and she didn’t want him to see that she was in so much pain inside.

“You’ve lost the accent, y’know?”

“Really?” She questioned. She was still the outcast of the academy, even if not quite as badly bullied as she had been when she had first arrived. The accent had always been something they had targeted about her. It made her stick out like a sore thumb, so in her early years she had tried not to talk. That all changed when Kira had befriended her. The bullying stopped at least, but they still weren’t a fan of her. Perhaps it was just because they knew where she was from, even if you couldn’t tell on the outside.

“Mmmhmm. At least a little. I can hear a little twinge of Kaas.” He said, “Your yellow eyes are gone too, just grey now. It’s a shame, they were quite-” He continued when the door to the chambers in front of them opened. She turned to see who had joined them in the antechamber.

“Theron. I didn’t expect to see you…” Master Satele said. She had grown older in the past five years, her hair greyer, and her face a little more crinkled. She wondered absentmindedly whether it was with age, or rather the stress of the job.

“Mother. I thought I might let you know that the SIS wants to talk to you.”

_Mother?_

Suddenly everything made sense. Their eyes, their faces, their expressions, they were all the same. The familiarity in his face when they had first met, it was because she recognised Master Satele in him. Why had it taken her so long to notice? She couldn’t unsee their similarities now. She tried to prevent any sign of this epiphany from seeping through into her expressions.

Theron Shan. They had talked of the other Shan at the Academy, Master Satele’s secret and scandalous child, hidden from the rest of the world. It was a popular topic of discussion. They all wanted to know who he was, often wondering if he was within their midst, but now she knew all their debates had been wrong. She knew who he was. _Is he not Force-sensitive?_ Oh, how they’d kill to be her friend now.

“Rey, I’m so glad to see you.” Satele said, suddenly, breaking her away from her train of thought.

“Master Satele. It’s great to see you again.” She said, smiling. She was happy to see another familiar face on Coruscant.

“How are you holding up? You know we can postpone this meeting in you need any more time to recove-“

“I am fine, Master. I would rather get this over with.” She said, remembering why she was here. Her smile faded.

“Get this other with? Dear, what do you think this meeting is about?” A frown creased her face.

“I assume something to do with the attack on Ossus?”

“Correct, but somehow I feel like you see that event differently to me... This is beside the point anyway, we’ll discuss this in the meeting. Come on in, we’re ready for you now.” Satele made a move to go back into the chambers, and Reytte followed suit.

“Mother? Aren’t you forgetting something?” Theron spat. Rey had forgotten for a moment that he had been there and clearly so had Satele. She could feel Theron’s white hot anger radiating off him, almost like a star.

“Oh… yes. I shall speak to you and the SIS once I have finished with the council. Come in when you’re ready, Rey.” She turned and walked into the council chambers.

“Typical. More interested in the Jedi than her own son.” He grumbled to himself. She could feel his anger flare like a fire within him. She tried to use the Force to soothe him, as she had done on Ossus with her fellow padawans. Her battle meditation had helped to ease their pain, but it just seemed to make him angrier.

“I’m sorry, Theron. It must be hard.”

She felt the fire burn brighter, as if she had fanned the flames.

“Don’t you try and use your Jedi mind tricks on me!” He raged, “Don’t try and sympathise with me, Sith. You don’t know anything about what it’s like for your mother to pay no attention to you your entire life! She never gives me a second thought ever, but you? She’ll happily console some child of the most decorated murderer of the Sith Empire? Go back to where you belong, because you certainly don’t belong here.”

He stormed off down the corridor, and for a second she considered running after him, but she came to her senses. What would she say? That she did understand? That her mother had been too busy saving the Empire to notice her? He would hardly take the assurance of a Sith. She had thought perhaps finally she was at home within the Republic, but Ossus and this fight with Theron just highlighted how much of an outsider she really was. She felt panicked, and alone, just like the scared child she had been last time she was stood here. She really was alone now. With Kira’s reassignment to Alderaan and Theron’s hatred of her, she didn’t have anyone else left.

“Is everything alright, Reytte? We heard shouting?” One of the masters, younger than Master Satele, said from the door. She composed herself, and trying to use the Force to calm herself. It didn’t work, but the master didn’t seem to notice her distress.

“Of course. Theron was… just saying goodbye. I’m coming in now.” She stood tall, or as tall as she could with her small stature, and walked into the council chambers, ready to deal with whatever was to come. She was just as awed by the council chambers as she had the first time. The glass ceiling still towered high above her, even with her growth spurt since last time. Her height would never challenge it, she knew.

“Youngling Sol,” The master said. She directed her attentions back to him. A Kel Dorian male, he looked quite intimidating, but she shook those feelings off.  “How are you feeling?”

“I am fine, master. A few bruises is all really. They’ll heal, eventually.” She said simply.

“That is not what he’s refering to, youngling.” Satele chimed in, “He means, how are you coping with all this? The council has been kept in the loop surrounding your special affinity for empathy and battle meditation. We realise that the deaths on Ossus may have had an especially harsh effect on you above those of your peers. And of course you had a personal encounter with the Sith. None of us could blame you if you were a little shaken up.”

She hadn’t quite expected her meeting to end up like this. She had expected doubt, distrust, hatred even, after all she had been the reason for the attack but instead they showed her kindness again. Holding in all she had felt, all those voices, had been having an unwanted physical toll on her. She was happy to be able to talk about it to someone who she knew would care.

“It was… still is… terrible… awful. I opened up for just a second and I felt… everything. All the pain of their wounds, all their fear and anger, their worry. I tried to help as best I could but it was overwhelming. I can still feel their screams. Their souls reverberated when they died, sent out shockwaves of fear,” She struggled to get her words out, but she tried to calm herself and carry on. “I tried to calm them, masters, it was all I could do. I’m sorry… I failed.”

“You did not fail, Rey. You saved so many lives.” Satele chimed in.

“I’m afraid that you may have tried to absorb all of the pain from your peers. Perhaps that is the source of your prolonged suffering.” The Kel Dorian master said. He looked around to the other masters, but they all seemed at a loss for what to suggest.

“We are unsure of how to help you,” Master Satele continued, “This is a rare gift, and what you speak of may only be cured through time. I do think, however, you suffer from something other than your grief.”

“Yes, master?” She questioned, confused. She didn’t feel ill in any other way. Surely, she was mistaken.

“You feel guilty, Rey.” She replied.

Rey was stunned. She was right, that she was guilty, but she had caused all those deaths. In some ways, their continued pain was her punishment.

“Master… I don’t know what to say-” She started.

“You believed that you were being brought here to be thrown from the order, didn’t you?” Satele questioned.

She paused, but she knew she could not lie to Satele. If she had spotted her guilt, she knew her well enough to know when she was lying.

“Yes, Master. Those younglings died because I was there.”

“That is not true, youngling.” The Kel Dorian master said, “The Sith planned their attack on Ossus for months, possibly even years. I know the Sith told you that it was to find you, but it was a coincidence. The Sith lied to try and unbalance you. The attack was inevitable, and the blame there falls on us for thinking we could live so close to the Sith and not arouse suspicion.”

Was it true? Had she truly not been the cause? It felt like a weight had been lifted of her shoulders. But if she wasn’t here to be kicked out, why was she here?

“We brought you here to promote you, youngling.” Satele said, as if she had read her mind, “You are hereby designated the rank padawan. You showed courage and strength in the face of darkness and not only inspire your peers, but also those above you, us included. We watch your progress with great interest, Reytte Sol.” She smiled kindly at her. Her words were genuine, she knew.

She could hardly believe it. Here she was, thinking they would kick her out, when really they just wanted to thank her. _And_ make her a padawan.

“It has also come to our attention that when you moved to the Republic, you were never officially given citizenship.” Satele stood up from her chair and handed her a small datapad. On it, she could see an official looking document. The words _REPUBLIC CITIZEN_ headed the page, and her face, name and date of birth were below.

“You were one of us from the moment you entered the temple, Rey, but now it’s official."


	3. Moving Up

The streets were crowded… overcrowded, but thanks to her status as a “guard”, she stood right at the front of the crowd. Although Satele wasn’t one for massive spectacle, the Republic high-ups had decided we needed something to celebrate with the war going on, so here they were, bending to their will. The grand entrance to the Senate Tower had never seen so many people, all craning their neck to try get a glimpse of the new Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. The size of the crowds took her breath away. It spoke volumes to how important the hope the Jedi brought to them meant. As did the volume of noise. They drowned out her thoughts, although that wasn’t much of a problem right now. She let herself get lost in their excitement, like electricity in the air. Events like this made her thankful for her abilities. She opened herself up to the feeling, and smiled broadly. It felt like the faint warmth of a star on a warm day, like drinking a hot chocolate on a cold winters day. She held on to that feeling on her darkest days.

“Y’know, Jedi, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile before.”

The voice shook her from her trance, as it always seemed to do.

“Theron Shan. Do you have a habit of sneaking up on everyone or is it just me?” She said, jovially, smiling.

She knew that her job as a guard was important, that she shouldn’t let her guard down, but this was the heart of the Republic. She could let her mind wonder for a moment to talk to a friend.

“Just testing your reflexes, Sol. Needless to say, you need more work.” He smiled crookedly. It seemed that the glee of the crowds could thaw even Theron’s frozen heart. “What are you doing here?”

“Officially? I’m part of the guard protecting the Grandmaster. But you know why I’m really here. Master Satele found a way to get me on the team so I could see everything.” She was happy for her, that she was finally getting recognised for her work. She deserved this. Rey knew that she would lead the Order well. “What are you doing here, Shan?”

He frowned, “What, a guy can’t watch his own mother’s more important achievement?”

She gave him a disbelieving look.

“…okay, sure, the SIS has me on surveillance, just in case. Trust me, I don’t want to be here. I tried to get out of it but they said that my connection to her should ‘motivate me to do my job’. Clearly they don’t know me.” He sulked.

“Theron-“ She started.

“Now I know what you’re going to say, I need to work things out with her and all that blasted nonsense, but I’ve tried. It’s much easier this way”

“If you just gave her a chanc-“  She tried, but he wouldn’t have it.

“Save it. Not today.” He snapped, “I’ve got enough to deal with today.”

He turned his eyes back to the crowd, scanning for dangers, even though he knew there would be none. This day couldn’t be over quick enough for him, she knew, despite the infectious smiles of the crowd. She wondered if maybe he was messing with his new cybernetics on the crowd. They curved around his eye, and she wondered what they did. She hadn’t met many Jedi with cybernetics, and by extension, not many people at all. She didn’t see many people outside the Order, since she spent much of her time inside temples. She knew to make the most of times like this.

“When I said I understood, Theron, I meant it. My mother… she was the Lord Wrath. She had no time for me either. Always off saving the day…”

He looked to her, and stared her down, as if trying to sense if she was being truthful. Understanding spread across his face after a few seconds. He looked away, down at the floor, ashamed.

“I suppose I hadn’t thought of that…” He said quietly, almost lost in the noise of the crowd, “I’m sorry, Sol. I said awful things to you… I didn’t mean it.” He looked at her sincerely. She smiled back.

“It’s okay, Shan. I understand.” She placed her hand on his shoulder for a second. He seemed to relax for a second, smiling sadly at her before pulling away, seeming to remember himself.

“I need to focus on my task…” He said, disappearing.

“Right. Me too.” She said to no one in particular, taking her place back facing the way the Grandmaster would walk.

The parade was beautiful, and she held on the elation of the crowd, but she couldn’t help but think about how sad Theron had seemed. She wished she could do something about it.


	4. If Home is Where the Heart Is…

“We want you to go back to Tatooine.” The master told her.

She stood once again in front of the council, still just as in awe at those who stood in front of her, but much happier about what she thought would happen. She knew they weren’t going to kick her out this time, at least, but she hadn’t been expecting this. To be honest she didn’t even know anything about what was going to happen. She had hoped maybe a move to Tython… but it was far too early for her to be assigned there. That guess had been as far away as possible. Tython and Tatooine were on two ends of the planetary spectrum.

“…What?” She said, speechless.

“He said, ‘We want you to go back to Tatooine’.” Master Satele repeated.

 _Grandmaster Shan_ , she corrected herself. She kept getting that wrong. Thankfully, she had yet to say it out loud. She still had a hard time trying to call her Master Shan instead of Satele, so it was no surprise to her that she was having trouble with this either.

“I apologise. I understood what he said, I was just expressing… shock. Surely you don’t mean…”

“The council believes it will be in your best interests to confront your past and in doing so allow yourself to move on.”

She was confused…

“What do you expect me to do?” She said, exasperated, “I have already moved past my origins, proved my devotion to the Order. Is there something more you want?”

“Watch your tone, young one.” A master chastised.

“We just want you to return to your mother’s stronghold and meditate on what you find.”

“…That’s it?”

“That is all.”

That sounded deceptively simple. She got the feeling it wouldn’t be like that.

“As soon as the SIS’ representative arrives, you can be on your way. I believe he is readying his shuttle and should be here any minute.” The master explained.

“The SIS? What have they got to do with this?” She asked, immediately suspicious. She only knew one member of the SIS. Surely they wouldn’t…

“Due to your home also being previously home to your mother, the Lord Wrath, they want to take a look and see if there are any important documents lying around, but don’t let him interrupt your work.” Grandmaster Satele explained, “I believe you’ve met my son before?”

 _Of course this involved Theron_ , she mused, _who else would they send._ She smiled a little, if only internally.

“Theron? Yes, I’ve met him on a couple of occasions. He is… agreeable enough.” She said, simply. She didn’t want to let on that her and Theron were friends, in case they changed him out for someone else. She knew they were never comfortable with her and Kira spending too much time together, so her being friends with an SIS agent wouldn’t bode well.

She sensed a presence behind her, and watched as Satele and the rest of the council focused their attention behind her.

“Ah, Theron, you’re finally here. You may leave now, Padawan. Good luck, and may the Force be with you.”

~~~

“Agreeable, huh? I’m just… agreeable?” He said, smirking. She couldn’t understand why. Suspiciously, she replied.

They sat in the cockpit of Theron’s ship, as he began the initiation protocols to take them out of the spaceport. She was cautiously looking forward to this mission; a chance to spend some time away from the pressures of the Order to conform to be such a perfect person, to spend time with someone who was just… normal, not some prodigy.

“Yes, of course you are.” She started, choosing her words carefully, “You were nice to me, all those years ago. I’d say that constitutes agreeable.”

He huffed, and she could feel his frustration.

“What’s wrong, Agent?”

“Theron, my name is Theron…” He prickled, “What’s up with you today, you’re acting all… Jedi-like. It’s… weird.”

“I am a Jedi?” She said, confused. Of course she would act like a Jedi, that’s who she is. She frowned at him.

“Yes, but you don’t talk like one. I mean, not usually. Stop it.” He said, grumpily.

“Ah. I see… My masters say I am far too… emotive in my language. I’m trying to rein it in a little. They say I’ve got to be more reserved.” She said, understanding now what he meant. The many years of spending time around Kira had meant she was a little more… vocal than the other padawans, and the Jedi had frowned upon it. She thought it just added more character, made her more of a normal person than all the other Jedi who just nodded and followed order, but that didn’t matter to them. Instead she had resolved to keep her thoughts to herself, but maybe she didn’t need to be that way around Theron…

“Oh, stars, Rey, don’t listen to them!” He huffed, “You’re different to those stuck-up masters, and I admired you for that.”

“I know what you mean, but they’re right about some things. Emotion is dangerous-“

“That’s what makes life worth living! What’s the point of living if there’s no excitement?” He interrupted, his frustration flaring. Clearly this is a debate that he had thought a lot about. He paused for a second before starting again, “You sound like my mother.” He looked down at the console to avoid her eyes. She reached over and put her hand on his shoulder and this time, he didn’t pull away.

“I’m sorry, Theron.” She smiled at him sadly, “You’re right, it’s not who I am, but I have to keep up appearances.”

He turned back away from her, continuing preparing the ship for launch. She let her hand drop and got up from the co-pilot seat and walked to the bunk room. The ship was small, and had clearly just been home to Theron before she joined the ship. It seemed new though; the walls still gleamed in a way that she wouldn’t have expected of a ship from a spy, especially someone like Theron. Maybe he hadn’t had time to break it in yet.

Theron was right, she knew that, but although she wasn’t the calm, serene image of a typical Jedi, she still tried to pretend to be. It was who she strived to be, but sometimes her personal beliefs got in the way. She didn’t believe in blind faith, and emotion certainly wasn’t to be feared as the Jedi tried to say, but she would never be a Sith.

She decided to meditate upon these thoughts. Maybe she could think of a way to see her mother’s side of the argument.

~~~

The five day trip to Tatooine was something she had been looking forward to, surprisingly. The chance for some peace and quiet away from the noise of the temple filled her with anticipation. She had spent the last week babysitting younglings with the Masters, as a recent advancement in the war had seen many of them taken off world. As much as she had loved the experience, she was ready for some time alone. Or nearly alone. Theron had other plans.

“Wanna play pazaak?” He drawled lazily from his bunk across the room. He knew she was meditating, but that didn’t seem to bother him. In fact, she thought she felt a rush of delight from him. He loved to irritate her.

She ignored him, determined not to let him get the best of her. Pushing away all feelings of his presence and of her surroundings, she returned to her meditation.

He didn’t take the hint, of course.

Clearing his throat loudly, he repeated, “Wanna play pazaak?”

She could feel amusement bubbling inside him, spilling over into her consciousness. Around Theron, her empathic abilities went into overdrive, beyond her control, but she tried to fight against it. She pushed it to the side once again, and focussed on her breathing.

_In…_

_Out…_

_In…_

“I know you can hear me.”

She exhaled sharply, opening one eye to find him sat in front of her. Stuffing her irritation down inside her, she kept her face the picture of a perfect serene Jedi.

“Theron. I’m trying to meditate.”

“Well you’re not anymore. Come on, you’ve got a whole five days to spend meditating, can’t you just spent a little time doing… I don’t know, non-Jedi things?” He pleaded. She stared him down, but she realised that he wouldn’t let this go until she submitted.

“Fine…” She grumbled, letting her posture go.

He cracked a smile and grabbed his cards from his bed.

“Aren’t you meant to be responsible for me? Surely you shouldn’t encourage me to neglect my duties.”

“Nobody said anything about that. Besides, I’m only a little bit older than you.”

“Theron, six years is-“

“So you know how to play pazaak, yes?”

“I… uh… What’s pazaak?” She questioned, hesitantly.

“Oh stars, Rey, what are you doing with your life?” She opened her mouth to defend herself, but he quickly interjected, “It’s okay, I’ll teach you.”

He walked over to his bunk to retrieve his cards, throwing them over to her.

“Oh thank goodness, another life skill I couldn’t live without. What would I do without you, Shan?” She mocked.

He punched her in the arm, scowling.

“Okay, so this may be a bit hard to grasp to start with but bear with me…”

She could feel him oozing with self-confidence through the Force. In fact, it was so prominent, she could feel it in his tone. His condescension would be his downfall. She smiled to herself. Little did he know she was a quick study.

~~~

She had never been so happy to see him confused.

“What…?” He mumbled.

“What’s that, Theron? Loth-cat got your tongue?” She said, smugly.

“You… won?”

She laughed at him, in spite of herself. She had wanted to be a graceful victor, but seeing him so baffled made her want to cry.

He challenged her to a rematch and unsurprisingly, she won again.

“You’ve played this before, haven’t you?” He asked, frowning deeply.

“Of course not. Do you find it so hard to believe I could actually beat you?”

Their third rematch ended the same way. And the fourth. When she won a fifth time, he swore.

“You’re cheating!” He cursed, throwing his cards down, “Stop using the Force!”

“How would the Force help me in any way?” She giggled.

“Stars, how are you doing that?” He grumbled.

“I clearly just have a natural talent.” She said, chuckling. He huffed, face wrinkling up in annoyance. “Careful, Shan. If you keep frowning like that, your face will stick that way.” He stalked off to the cockpit, leaving her in peace. Maybe that would teach him to leave her alone.

~~~

The moment Theron’s shuttle hit Tatooine’s atmosphere she felt the heat.

“Kriff, I forgot how much I hated this planet.” He moaned.

Evidently, so had Theron.

“We’ve barely even reached the surface yet,” She mused, quietly, “Weakling.”

“Okay, some of us didn’t grow up here.” He grumbled, sitting down in the captain’s chair. He checked the flight path down to the surface, flicking the comms on.

“This is Anchorhead Security. Please transmit your codes and your callsign.”

“This… blast, I never thought of a call sign…” He said, covering the mic, “I’m with the SIS. I presume you were contacted about our arrival. Transmitting codes now.” He pressed the buttons on the console, but what it all meant was lost on Rey. She had tried to get him to teach her, but he refused. _I don’t want you scratching my new shiny ship_. As if he wouldn’t damage it himself first.

“You’ve had five days... in deep space… and you didn’t come up with a callsign?”

“I’ve been busy?” He hissed.

“Busy with what?!” She laughed.

“Entertaining you.”

“I can entertain-“ She started, before he shushed her forcefully as the security guard spoke again.

“Your codes check out. What’s your call sign, agent?” He asked.

She watched Theron panic, like a mynock caught in front of a speeder.

“Huntress.” She called out, grinning at Theron when he gave her a face of _whatthehelldidyoujustdo_.

“Huntress, okay...” She could hear him working on the other end of the call. Theron turned and scowled at her deeply, but before he could say anything, the man responded again. “Huntress, you are clear for landing in docking bay 236.” The call cut off with a sharp static sound.

Theron swivelled round on the captain’s chair to look at her.

“Did you just… name my ship?!” He said in disbelief.

“Yeah, you’re welcome!” She said, smiling. His frown deepened. “Now we’ve talked about this Theron, scowling isn’t good for your skin.”

“I hate you…” He grumbled under his breath, “I hate you so much.” He brought his hand up to the bridge of his nose, pinching as if he had a headache.

Part of the fun of spending time with Theron was that she could tease him like this. Inside the walls of the temple, her fellow padawans often frowned upon her brash nature, but with Theron, her cheekiness wasn’t to be frowned upon. She knew underneath his grumbles and sighs he enjoyed it really. She didn’t need the force to see that.

Theron typed away at the console again, bringing the ship in to dock at their bay. She picked up her vibroblade, concealing it beneath her robes. As the Huntress settled down in the hanger, she typed in the codes to release the docking ramp. That was one of the only things Theron would teach her about the ship.

 _Just in case of fire,_ He had said, smirking. She had wanted to slap him.

She started walking down the ramp only to be stopped in her tracks by Theron.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Um… to do the mission?” She said, bemused.

“You’re not going out like that.” He stated simply.

“Uh… what?” She laughed, thinking he sounded hilariously like an overprotective dad. Not that she would know what that was like.

“You look like a Jedi. It’ll cause trouble, just change.” He brushed off.

“I am a Jedi, what’s wrong with that?” She said, offended.

“You’ll blow our cover!”

“Fine… I’ll go change.” She said, stalking back up the ramp. “Could have mentioned it earlier,” She mumbled to herself beneath her breath.

She briskly walked to the sleeping compartment and changed into something vaguely less… Jedi. A few minutes later, she emerged.

“Better?” She said, sarcastically.

“Much.” He grunted, walking down the ramp without her. She jogged to catch up.

The hanger bustled with noise. The hanger wasn’t just home to their ship, but many others, the majority of which were much larger than theirs. The captains and crew mulled around, moving produce from one ship to another. They quietly joined the crowd, blending in as best they could with her bright white hair and strikingly pale eyes. She tried kept her eyes down despite the exciting scenes, and her hair hidden beneath a hood in spite of the heat.

“So, where are we going?”

“We’re just going to these coordinates. I did some preliminary scanning, and it looks as if it’s in the suburbs of Anchorhead. Not your typical Sith hideout, huh?” He mused.

“No… no it isn’t…” She mumbled.

Tatooine was much busier than she remembered. All she had ever seen were long, stretched out deserts. They surrounded her home, She had never strayed too far away from her house, for fear of her mother’s wrath. They were never ever allowed near the city. In fact, she didn’t think she had ever left her mother’s compound.

That was her first clue something wasn’t right.

“I have a bad feeling, Theron. We didn’t live in the city…”

“Relax, its fine. Maybe you’ve forgotten? It was like… Ten years ago right?”

“Yeah,” She conceded.

They continued on their way through the town, stopping only at the food stalls. After eating only spacer rations for almost a week, she was ravenous for some real food.

“Pleaaase Theron…” She begged. Eventually, with a lot of persuasion, and maybe a little bit of Force, he let her buy some.

After a while, they arrived at the coordinates.

“This isn’t my mother’s house.”

“Are you sure…? The intel said…”

“It’s wrong. I know my own house.” She said, moving her hand to her concealed vibroblade, ready just in case. “This is a set up.” She looked at him, and his gaze hardened, as he followed suit, ghosting his hand over his guns. She knocked on the door, taking a few steps back to get into a stance better suited for combat.

She felt footsteps making their way to the door, and tried to read for the presence of their owner in the Force. Confusingly, she felt nothing. Sending out shockwaves in the Force to check again, she felt nothing but Theron beside her. She turned to him, panicked.

“I can’t read it.” She whispered.

“What? What do you mean?” He hissed, “You can read anyone!” Her panic was mirrored in his. His pulse rose as the steps grew closer. Her grip tightened on her blade, as the door slid open.

“Master Sol! It is a pleasure to be reunited with you again!” A droid exclaimed. The droid she had learnt to love in her early years.

“C2?!” She marvelled, “I… you… Where have you been all these years?!”

“So that’s why you couldn’t read it!” Theron laughed, “It’s a droid!” She elbowed him in the chest to get him to stop laughing at her, scowling at him.

“Theron, this is C2-N2, he took care of me when my Mother and her slave were… off-planet.” She introduced, “C2, this is Theron. He’s a friend of mine. Access Override;  Add Theron Shan to list of masters.”

“Master Theron, it is truly a pleasure to meet you.” The droid said, bowing.

“So… C2… Why did our co-ordinates lead us here?” Theron questioned.

“Ah, I believe some… misunderstandings may have occurred in my messages to the Jedi Council. Master Reytte, your mother programmed me so that upon her… untimely demise, I were to pass on her household and possessions to you, as her eldest child.”

“Of course, that makes sense, but… this isn’t my mother’s house, C2. And it’s been over ten years since my mother’s death, why now?” She said, confused.

“Ah… If that is true then I must only apologise. My chassis was lost in your mothers rush to save your sister, and unfortunately I was only recently able to reboot myself.”

“What? Save my sister? But she was on the planet!”

“ I wish I could explain but… my memory has faded and corrupted over the years. I can only remember fragments…” The droid said, “Perhaps you can find more answers at your mother’s residence?”

“Right, yes, the house. Can you take me there now?” she said, realising why she was actually there.

“Well… The reason I chose these co-ordinates as our meeting place is because I have lost the co-ordinates to your home. The only thing I know is that it is somewhere in the Western Dune Sea.”

“That’s… a huge area” Theron stated.

Her heart plummeted. She hadn’t thought she had thought too much about what she would learn about her past from this journey, but now she realised that she was desperate to learn more. Just as it had been suddenly given to her, it was gone again. How was she going to learn more about herself, about her long lost sister if she couldn’t find her home? She missed it, having somewhere to call home. She remembered playing in the sand with Caenys, and on the hottest days sitting in the shade, napping. Her heart yearned for it, for the high cliffs, for the infinite desert out beyond the balcony, never to be seen again. Or maybe…

Her heart rate began to pick up again, and joy spread across her face.

“You have an ideas face… That’s your ideas face! Come on hit us with it.” He said, grinning.

“You said somewhere within the Western Dune Sea, yes? Well… I remember the homestead. At least, I remember a little about it. There were a lot of cliffs, steep cliffs. The house was built into it. And outside, there was a massive exhaustion zone, making it almost impossible to walk through. That… that narrows it down, right?”

“Yeah… Yeah it does! If there are cliffs around, then that narrows it down to…” He trails off, deep in thought.

“That would narrow the search area down to around… a 200 mile area.”

Her heart rate rose again, as she realised it was doable. She could actually find her home. Maybe she could even find her sister again…

“Give me the co-ordinates,” Theron ordered, thinking one step ahead of her. C2 obliged, but she didn’t hear anything else. She ran for the door and down the sandy path to the speeder rank, before realising she had no way to hire one. Once Theron caught up, they rented a speeder and set off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got a little away from me... so much so I had to split it into two! Fun fact - they currently make up more than half of the fic.


	5. ...Then My Home is With You

By the end of the first day, her energy had already waned significantly. They had driven through sandstorm after sandstorm, giving her a skin an itchy, raw look, which burned so much she almost wished she had never come back to this planet. She tried not to complain though, because it didn’t look, or feel, quite as bad as Theron’s face. Forgoing her warnings that he would burn under the intensity of the twin suns, that he should cover up to prevent himself a little pain, he decided he knew better. And of course, he now paid the price for his cockiness. She was convinced it was to prevent him from ruining his hair, which had so far impressively survived the humidity. Alas, he should have listened for her, as when they settled down, she saw the first signs of a burn forming on his face. It hurt a lot, it seemed as the pain radiated out from him. It would only get worse, she knew, especially if he continued to scratch like he was currently.

“Stop it. You’ll make your skin peel.” She chastised, trying to prevent him some of the pain.

“It’s already peeling anyway…” He argued quietly.

She settled into her sleeping bag a little, trying to press away the frustration she could feel through the Force. Thankfully, Theron had had the foresight to pick them up something to sleep on, despite her enthusiasm and haste to set off immediately. He was methodical and logical where she was instinctual and head-strong. They worked well together as a team, she realised, balancing out each other’s personalities.

 She’d lost the energy she had had now, though. She just wanted to sleep, but the heat was getting to her. It sapped the life out of her. Instead, all she did was toss and turn. Tatooine may have been her home, but she still couldn’t get used to the heat. Realistically, she only spent the same amount of time there as she had on Ossus, so it wasn’t really home to her, but she knew this was where she had been with her mother and her sister. It was her home.

Why her mother had chosen to settle here, she could not understand. The heat was overwhelming, constant and unrelenting, and sleeping was practically impossible. She could hear Theron struggle from across the cave, scratching at his face and tossing to try and get comfortable. If the heat weren’t enough, the noise and feeling of him in the background certainly tipped her over the edge.

“Oh, Theron, just come here.” She practically snapped, sitting up to look over at him, or trying to at least in what little light remained. She could feel a little relief trickle from him, as he shuffled over to sit next to her at the other wall of the cave.

“I’m just a bit warm.” He mumbled, clearly lying. He slouched down next to her, tired from the heat and the pain.

“Let me help you.” She said, looking him in the eye. She asked silently for his permission, sensing his unease. His thoughts on the Force had always been clear to her, but he knew she meant him no harm. This was outside the debate of his abandonment at the hands of the Force. He was just being stubborn.

“Okay…”

She tugged out on her connection to the Force, feeling it flow through her to him. He was a hot bed of emotions at the moment, no doubt conflicted about her use of the Force, but she tried her hardest to put him at ease despite this, allowing her calm state to flow through him. She delved deeper into his emotions, trying to find the source of his pain, brushing against confusion, incongruence, and a little care, she found his anger and frustration. She focused her tranquil state towards it, radiating it towards his mind. He felt a different kind of heat within him, a pleasant calm, like the sunlight of a star warming your skin on an enjoyably sunny day. He felt… at peace, and in that moment, he understood everything; why his mother had abandoned him, why Rey had joined the Jedi order… to feel this. He closed his eyes, trying to enjoy the feeling, as she raised her hands up to his face.

Healing had never really been her forte; she had always been much more adept at breaking bones than putting them back together, but she wanted to do what she could for Theron. Something within him struck a chord with her, and it made her want to keep him safe, happy. Besides that, it was part of her mission to co-operate fully with the SIS, and she wasn’t about to let him suffer, especially when she could feel all of it spilling over into her consciousness. She knew he would just moan the rest of the mission about it as well, so really it was a win-win scenario. That is, if she could pull it off.

The air around them began to glow faintly, as the Force circled around his face, and she tried her best to use it to knit his skin together again. Slowly, but surely, it worked.

“How do you feel?” She said, quetly. She didn’t want to disturb him, knowing he was slowly drifting towards sleep.

“I feel… Thank you…” He murmured. He opened his eyes to look at her, almost smiling. His yellow eyes shone in the faint light of the setting suns.

“Sleep now.” She said, still looking him in the eye. She felt a weird feeling. Like a warmth, but not from her or the sun, something else entirely. Something new. She smiled faintly at him, although she knew he couldn’t see her.

He nodded slightly, pushing away a little from the wall to sleep where he sat, next to her. His breathing slowed, and he drifted off. She stayed awake a little to help him, but in the end, his feelings of drowsiness transferred to her, and she fell asleep opposite him.

~~~

They carried on much the same the next day, after a slow start in the morning.

“Theron… Theron?” She urged, shaking him a little to try and get a response.

She had woken up laid beside him, and had quickly righted herself, jumping to clean up their simple encampment.

He roused slightly, blinking from the sharp sunlight now peaking into the cave, straight into his eyes.

“Huh…?” He blinked, seemingly a little stunned.

“You ready?” She asked, picking up her own bedding and packing it back onto their speeder.

“Yeah… Of course.” He said, jumping up to get to work. He rubbed his face in an attempt to wake himself a little, but he drew back his hand, confused that he hadn’t winced. Realisation dawned across his face, as he turned to look at her. “Thank you,” He said sincerely.

“You’re welcome,” She replied, smiling faintly at him. She didn’t want to revisit the subject, still a little confused by it all. It wasn’t often that she felt lost in her feelings. “I’ll drive, if you want?”

“Hah, that’s funny, Sol. Like I’d trust you with my speeder,” He said, smirking, and like that they were back to the way they were before. “They make you pay extra if you damage it, y’know.”

~~~

By the second night, they had yet to make any significant progress besides just getting further away from any civilisation. Given her mother’s tendency to hide away from society, it boded well for their likelihood of finding the home, but it was monotonous for her, seeing the same view over and over again, even if it was beautiful in a harsh _I-can-kill-you-at-any-moment_ kind of way. They had covered a lot of ground, so much it made her worry about how big this planet was, but there was still so much left to go. They settled down for the night as the sun set, casting shadows in their new cave. She tried to help him sleep, and they fell asleep next to each other again.

~~~

By the fourth night, they had fallen into somewhat of a routine. They each set out their bedding next to the wall, Reytte tried to pacify his thoughts, and they slept until the sun rose again, at which point it would wake one of them, who woke the other. They then set off again, on another day of dull travel. The weird feeling she felt, the warmth, returned strongly each time, but she pushed it away, focusing on the mission.

~~~

By the eleventh night, even she had begun to lose hope they would find her home. They had covered the majority of the area now, but she kept a strong façade up, mostly for Theron’s benefit. They still had some way to go, and she wasn’t ready to give up yet.

~~~

By the fourteenth night, they were running out of ground to cover. Theron pulled them over earlier than their usual routine, setting their stuff down. She gave him a confused look.

“Rey, we need to talk about this…” He said, carefully.

“About what?” She said, acting as if she didn’t know what he was talking about. She wasn’t ready to discuss their slowly failing mission, she wasn’t ready to acknowledge they may have to give up.

“About… our predicament. I…” He stammered, not quite knowing how to broach the subject. He knew how much this meant to her.

“Spit it out, Theron.” She said, harshly. If they were going to talk about this, she didn’t want it dragged out any longer than it had to be.

“We’ve got nowhere else to look!” He blurted, before looking, and feeling, guilty, “Look… we don’t have anything else we can do, unless you can come up with a new strategy.”

She could feel him sympathise with her. He wanted to help, she knew, but they both realised there wasn’t much else to be done. She didn’t want to give up, but she didn’t know what else to do.

“What are we going to do?” He said, softly. He looked her in the eye reassuringly. He believed in her, but that wasn’t enough for her to fix this.

“I don’t know, Theron…” She apologised, “I just need some time…”

He understood.

“I… need to go inform the SIS of how it’s going. Call me if you need me.” He said, walking back off out of the cave.

When he was out of sight, she slumped down to her knees, letting her façade drop for a minute. She didn’t want to give in. She needed to know about her past, about where her sister was. She needed that connection to her mother. Sure, she had Theron, she had Kira, and Master Satele, but they weren’t _family_. They talked about it a lot at the academy, about where they had come from, about who their parents where and what they did, but she could never join in. She knew nothing about her mother, nothing beside her life as a Sith. She knew she had a sister, but she didn’t even know what she looked like any more. Her sister had been four when she had last seen her. Now, she would be a teenager. She missed her, even if she had never really known her.

She hadn’t even noticed she had been crying until felt a presence nearby. Self-consciously, she quickly wiped them away, righting herself, as she looked around. It felt familiar somehow, but she couldn’t recognise it. Not Theron, not Kira, definitely not Satele. There was so much anger, so much frustration.

“You’re stronger than I ever could have hoped.” She heard from behind her. She turned to look back towards the cave mouth.

Before her stood the image of a strong woman, tall and pale. The ghost shown to her through the Force still projected strength and intimidation years since her death, but beneath it she could feel a calm not too unfamiliar to her own. Her battle armour was worn, damaged, scarred from years of hard-fought victories but she wore no helm, leaving her amber eyes to piece deep within her, even despite her blueish tinge. Behind the orange glow shone something else, a grey-white shine she had seen many times before, every time she looked in the mirror.

“Mother.” She gasped.

“You recognise me. That’s good. Forgive me, Rey, I never wanted to leave you so early in your life, but… I had to protect my child.” Her hair was cut short, cropped close to her head. _Hair is a weakness, Rey, and you must never be weak_ , she had once told her. It shone silver-blonde, just like hers. “I had such high hopes for you… but you seem to have fallen well into place. You’ve found a home, even if it wasn’t the one I hoped you would find.”

“Mother… Why are you here?” She questioned. She had so many questions, but she didn’t know where to start.

“I’m here to help you, Rey. I’ve waited a long time to see you again. Ten years, it’s taken, to regain my strength enough to talk to you like this. I sent the droid to find you again, to send you to my co-ordinates, but I fear he was somewhat damaged in the transit, but you’re here. You’re finally here… my beautiful child…” She looked emotional, but it was hard to read her emotions or her face. She had always kept such a distant feeling about her. When she had looked her up in the Jedi Archives, it was clear that this wasn’t just to her, but to everyone. She was a mystery.

“I sent for you to come here, because I want you to have your legacy.”

“My… what?” She said, puzzled.

“You finally stumbled close enough to our home to connect with me. Now, I can take you home.” She said, walking past her, back out of the cave, “Follow me, Rey. Follow the Force.” She ran off, disappearing in to the wind with the sand.

She ran for the speeder, turning the ignition and setting off out back along the cliff face. As she neared Theron, she called out to him.

“Theron!! I know where to go!” She shouted, excitedly.

“What?!” He said, shocked. He was taking too long to get on.

“No time to explain, just get on!” She said, hurriedly.

He ran over to her and climbed on, before she sped off to follow her mother.

“So…?” Theron questioned, but she hushed him to silence. She didn’t want to lose her connection to her mother, not when she had just found it again.

As they neared her feelings of her mother, she began to see her, appearing next to her speeder.

“Mother!” She called out to her, swerving out of the way.

“Kriff, Rey, what’s going on?!”

“Not _now_ , Theron!” She shouted.

She could feel her signature all around her. The feeling intensified as she headed towards another cave mouth, where she parked the speeder, jumping off quickly. She ran off quickly into the cave, calling out.

“Rey!! Rey…!” Theron’s voice called from behind her, but the sound faded behind her.

The cave opening ran into a complex tunnel system, but somehow, she knew the way. Each twist and turn was burned into her, like a memory, she hurried through the crossroads and forks towards her goal. The tunnels finally subsided into a large cavern. Her mother stood at the far side.

“Mother!” She called out again.

“You’re almost there… You know how to get home, you’ve done it so many times before…” She said, before fading away again.

The cavern she stood in was huge, empty of everything but a slight incline at one side, leading to what seemed to be a pedestal.

She walked to it, kneeling before it. She opened herself up before the Force, pushing outwards to feel for anything that could help her. She felt the platform almost push back against her, and she stumbled back in shock. She had never seen anything like it. To the eye, the rock was bare, just like everything else around it, but through the force she could feel it… almost living. It probed her, scanning her, before leaving her again. She kneeled once again at the altar, feeling the strange force reach out to her again. She felt out towards it, to try and get a grasp of what she was dealing with, using her empathic abilities to try and read it. It drew back suddenly, and she gasped, as the wall before her… disappeared. What had once been there was there no longer. She walked through the newly formed space, following the light to find a desert again. Off in the distance she finally saw her home. The familiar cliff face, cut open with balconies, covered with flags. She felt… whole.

“When I saw what you did back on Ossus, I knew that you would be the child I wanted you to be.” Her mother said, appearing behind her once again, “I knew that you were worthy of carrying on the Sol name, of protecting your family and those who are under your care. That’s why I brought you back here. There is something I have never told you for your own protection.”

“What?” She asked.

“You have another sister, Rey. Her name is Maetys, and she was born a year after Caenys.” She was stunned… at a loss for words. _How could she never have known that she had another sister, so close in age to her?_ That raised more questions. _Why didn’t she ever meet her?_ “I loved her just as much as I loved you both, but as soon as she was born, I knew that she would never be able to survive in the Empire. She was force-sensitive, but she was weak. She barely had access to our families gift, our battle meditation and our empathy. She wouldn’t have survived as an acolyte, so I knew what had to be done. I sent her away to grow up somewhere far away, where she would never be found again, where she would be safe. I kept tabs on her, of course, so I knew that she would grow up well, but one day, I received a message from her foster mother, that she had been kidnapped and held for ransom. I ran off world to save her, even losing Caenys in the process, but in the end, it turned out to be a hoax. The Republic had sent the message in place of the mother, and they ambushed me above the planet.” Reytte remembered… she was there…

“We crashed on the planet. You told me you loved me, and then Master Satele…” She finished, fading off.

“Yes… You remember.” She said, smiling, “Maetys is safe, now, but I always intended to tell you about her, for you to meet. She’s on Corellia, but you must not let her know about you. She must forge her own way in this galaxy.”

“I… have another sister? Can I… Do you… have a picture?” She stammered.

“Go into the house, Rey.” She said, disappearing again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more chapter in this set of chapters, I promise.  
> Let me know what you thing!


	6. Empire's Legacy

The house was packed with information about her past. Locked and hidden since her mother’s death, it was completely untouched, not a single thing moved since she was last there. It stood like a frozen image of her life over ten years ago. Her mother had explained that no one but those of the Sol bloodline could access the home, due to the locking mechanism she had encountered earlier.

The first thing she had looked for was any information on her sisters. The databases showed no signs of any human photographs, but she knew that her mother was smarter than that. Searching deeper, she eventually found a photo of her and Caenys, sat at the balcony, looking back down over the desert from their mother’s balcony. They were in the middle of a fit of giggles, after having a little wrestling match. They looked so innocent…

She saved the photo.

She continued searching through the rooms, happening upon what looked like her mother’s slave’s room. Or rather, her mother’s freed slave. It was simple, plain, but clearly well lived in. She knew that her mother had never approved of slavery, but it was nice to see it proven. The room had a simple set of drawers, in which she had found her carers old clothes, oddly familiar to her. It was strange to think that ten years ago she had seen these on a daily basis.  She found a datapad in one of the draws, filled with pictures of the servant with the children, even one with a child she didn’t recognise. She saved them to analyse later.

Next, she found her mother’s old room. Much to her surprise, it wasn’t high up in the cliffs away from the rest of the rooms, but instead one of the smaller rooms, outside built into the sand. This intrigued her. Maybe it was that she wanted to spend as much time as possible with them whilst she was here, but that didn’t seem like the mother she knew.

It was plain, almost concerningly so, with almost no decoration. It comprised only of a bed, a chest of drawers and a small poster of the Tatooine dunes. She wondered absentmindedly whether this had always been her family’s home. She filed that under things to find out later. As she looked around the room, she noticed on top of the chest of drawers sat a lightsaber. She felt drawn towards it, like it called to her.

“You found it.” Her mother, appearing beside her once again, said.

“Your lightsaber?” She questioned.

“Not mine, ours. My mother’s lightsaber, and her father’s before her. It’s our legacy.”

She picked up the lightsaber, feelings its weight in my hand. A spark of Force shot out towards her, and she almost dropped it.

“You’re lucky that I didn’t take it with me.” She said, smiling, “The lightsaber is special, as you might have guessed. As we can empathise with others, and feel their emotions, so can the lightsaber. It reads you, and it changes accordingly. If you’re angry, the lightsaber changes, feeding off it. If you’re calm, then it too remains tranquil.”

She ignited the lightsaber, and a white beam shot out.

“The result is that depending on your current temperament, the blade’s colour matches how you are. For me, the lightsaber was purple. For my mother, it was blue. For her father, yellow. Now, the crystal is tuned to you, and your motives run clean, like your lightsaber’s white beam.” She explained.

“I… see.” She said, moving the saber around slowly in the air to get a feel for its weight.

“The Jedi Order has rules about this, I am absolutely sure of that, but this saber is your birthright, Rey.”

~~~

Eventually, after a few hours of searching around the homestead, the sun set behind the balcony. It reminded her of the view out of the cave she had seen so many times with Theron after a long ride through the desert.

_Theron._

She realised suddenly that she hadn’t seen him in too long, possibly abandoning him in the cavern systems.

…The ones her mother had told her were hostile to anyone not of her bloodline.

As soon as she realised, she raced back across the short stretch of desert to the cave entrance, tearing open the now closed doorway once again, to find the cave system again. Theron laid asleep against the wall next to the entrance. It seemed he had realised there was some significance to the cave. _Smart boy._

She leaned down next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently to try and wake him, but he would not rouse. She shouted his name, but he heard nothing.

“I think now would be a good time to tell you of the defence systems in place…” Her mother said, materialising once again.

“What do you mean defence systems?!” She said, almost shouting at her mother’s image, “What did you do to him?!”

She reached out to him through the Force, but she could feel he was still alive, and definitely not in any distress. Checking his pulse, she found herself to be true. She turned back to her mother, anger showing on her face unbidden.

“The cave system is inlaid with Force, designed by our ancestors many thousands of years ago. Anyone who finds their way into the caves who cannot pass the test you passed cannot withstand the metal pressure of the atmosphere here. The Force lulls them into a deep sleep. As soon as you take him out of here, he will be fine.” Her mother reassured.

“That would have been useful information earlier!” She exclaimed, attempting to put her arms beneath Theron, lifting him up with the assistance of the Force. He was really heavy.

She carried him back across the desert, to her room. Thankfully for her, it was sunset, so it wasn’t quite as warm as before, otherwise she wasn’t sure she would be able to do it. She laid him down on the bed, and tried to push him mentally through the Force to rouse him, but he would not wake. She resolved not to freak out, but instead to wait patiently, at the foot of the bed, keeping watch over him.

~~~

The morning sunlight woke her. Through the small windows in her door, the rays of light shone onto her closed lids, making her shift in her sleep. Eventually, her eyes flicked open to find herself laid across the bottom of the bed, Theron nowhere to be seen. Jumping up from her bed, she briskly walked over to the door, sliding it open quickly. She scanned for Theron, but saw nothing. Searching through the Force, she felt him within the cliff high above her. She calmed slightly and walked over to the elevator, past the simple waiting room she had found in the entrance, to the elevator. Before yesterday, she had never set foot in it. It was her mother’s area, and she couldn’t interrupt her when she was working.

The doors slid open to reveal her mother’s trophy displays. The walls were covered with tokens of her victories; lightsabers, helmets, droid processor units, but not just of her foes, but also of her allies. Next to the doors there were holos, depicting people she had never met; an imperial captain, a soldier, a Jedi and a Talz. Her mother had told her they were the fallen, those she had lost in combat, and after a quick search in the archives she realised they had earned their place here well. Their heroism wasn’t to be forgotten.

She stepped out onto the balcony to see Theron staring off into the desert, hands on the banister.

“Hey.” She called.

He jumped, turning around to face her.

“You shouldn’t sneak up on people, y’know.” He grumbled.

“I’ll take that under advisement. You feeling better?” She asked, moving to stand next to him. He returned to gazing off at the desert, and she joined him. Tatooine was beautiful, if a little deadly.

“Yeah, fine.” He huffed. Anger prickled off him.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, confused.

“You’re so oblivious…” He mumbled to himself, “I was freaking out, Sol! You started talking about your mother… and then you ran off into those caves! I couldn’t find you… for all I knew you were dead!” He said, angrily. She froze, feeling the warmth she felt before, back in the caves during their overnight stays.

“I’m… I’m sorry.” She said, slowly, “I saw my mother. As a force ghost…? It was a little hard to explain… I didn’t mean to scare you at all, I just… I didn’t want to lose her…”

He seemed satisfied a little, “Don’t worry I’m used to it I guess...”

He paused.

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

They stood in a comfortable silence for a while, staring off into the desolate beauty of the sandy, rolling hills, before Theron’s holocom rang, causing them both to startle. He moved away from the balcony, placing the small device on the table her mother had used years ago to plan many an attack. It was still covered in maps and notes from shortly before her death, depicting some planet she couldn’t recognise.

He answered the call.

“Agent Shan. I trust you are now able to take my call?”A rather pissed off agent said harshly.

“Senior Agent Taylon. I apologise for the ending of our previous call, but I had… important matters to attend to.” Theron said, carefully, his face completely void of any emotion, especially any guilt for having cut him off.

“Right.” Agent Taylon said suspiciously, “So, you say you have had no avail in finding the base?”

“I was saying that, but it seems we have had a breakthrough,” Theron started, “Padawan Sol here has found the base. We are currently situated within the Wrath’s previous tactical base.”

If the Agent was surprised, he gave no sign of it. It made her itch a little with irritation.

“Well, that is an interesting development. Good work, Agent, even if it did take you almost two weeks too long. I expect your report by the end of the day.” Taylon said. She almost scowled at him, but she held her composure. She could feel Theron’s anger too, but he was impressively indifferent in his expression.

“Of course.” Theron replied, closing the channel.

“You have to work with that guy?!” She asked, astounded he had to put up with such rudeness.

“Do you see why I was worried now? If he had found out I lost the Jedi Order’s prized possession, he wouldn’t have just fired me, he would have had me shot!” He smirked.

“Oh no, what a shame that would have been!” She joked.

“Shut up. Let’s get to work.” He chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!  
> Let me know what you think


	7. From Proud Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a time skip here. This takes place during the Tatooine class mission storyline, and in my version Praven is female because I said so.   
> Enjoy!

A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead. She found herself once again on Tatooine, her newly christened least favourite planet of all. Kira had convinced her that was what it should be called, and she wasn’t going to complain. She couldn’t help but agree. It may have some sentimental value to her, but she sure did hate it. Even at this sunset hour, she felt warm and sweaty. Maybe she was nervous. Lord Praven was a renowned Sith Lord, a challenge for her, she hoped a little.

She had been here nearly fourteen days now, and she was really ready for this mission to be over. She was definitely ready to find Master Kiwiiks again. She was incredibly worried for her, but she tried not to let that show as she walked through the tunnel to their rendezvous location. Praven had oddly waged the codes to deactivate the Shock Drum against a duel, unlike any Sith she had met before. Kira tried to warn her it was just a trap, but she felt she knew better, so here she was. As she stepped out of the tunnel, she was greeted with a sandy plateau, next to a steep drop; the perfect place for a dramatic fight, she noted.

Next to the edge, stood Praven. She stood taller than herself, but not by much. Her red skin almost matched their surroundings, as the sunset cast an orange glow on their surroundings.

“I sense your… power. Now I understand why Tarnis was no match for you.” Lord Praven said, as she approached, “He was weak, but his death was my failure. I should have trained him better.”

“The other Sith I’ve fought, they’re been full of anger and hatred, but in you I sense… regret.” She said, reading her through the force.

“I am a true Sith,” She boasted, “My passions are integrity and honor, as they should be. I welcome the end of your kind. Your incessant obsession with my people’s extermination must end. You are just a step towards that.” She drew her lightsaber hilt and ignited, the pale amethyst clashing with the surroundings, “Your lust for revenge will destroy this galaxy, and our Empire. I cannot let that happen.” She raised her saber, ready to attack.

“Whatever you’ve been told about us, it’s a lie.”

“I wish I could believe that, but I know better than to trust you,” She snarled, “Let us end this properly, leave your padawan out of this.” The Sith said. Kira looked to her, and Reytte nodded back. Hand gripped on her lightsaber, she looked back to Lord Praven. “Die well, Jedi.” She said, force pushing her away, closer to the edge.

Rey leaped back towards her, swinging her saber to try and get a hit on her body, but she quickly dodged to the side. She followed her quickly, using the Force to leap high and kick her, but Praven caught her foot and threw her back. It was clear this would be an interesting fight, to say the least.

Praven threw her back, skating even closer to the edge this time before reaching out to the Force to soften her landing. Leaping up quickly, she turned in mid-air, creating a vacuum in the air momentarily which pushed the Sith away from her. She moved to throw a rock at the Jedi, but she pulled the rock from her power, pushing it back towards her. It broke against her, giving her time to move closer again. She swung her lightsaber to hit her chest, but Praven blocked just in time.

“You don’t strike me as a typical Sith.” She said, parrying, diving to the right out of her way. Praven fired another boulder straight at her, and this time she failed to stop it properly, breaking it as she shot one more towards her. Hitting her square on the side, she stumbles a little, crouching, before quickly standing back to her feet. The rock crumbles, joining the sands of Tatooine once again.

She quickly turns around to block Praven’s blade from hitting her, before using the Force to guide her into a backflip away from danger.

“You don’t strike me as a typical Jedi.” Lord Praven replied. Rey tried to catch her off guard, powerfully striking her blade from above her head, but she expects the blow, blocking deftly.

A pureblood, her naturally red eyes glowed even fiercer than normal, staring her down as they circled each other, each waiting for the other to make a move. Rey leaped quickly, their blades clashing, white against purple, coating the area in a pale amethyst coloured light.

“You don’t know much of Jedi, do you? Spent all your life on Korriban, I’m guessing?” She jabbed, trying to unbalance her, but she corrected herself too quickly for it to hit.

“How did you…? It’s no matter. My time on Korriban has taught me not to trust your kind. All you do is try to trick us. I will not fall for it.” Rey can feel her hate spearing out from within. She wasn’t surprised. She stood for everything Praven had been brought up to hate. She would be hard to bring around, but nonetheless, she tried. There was some light within her, Rey knew it.

“Nor can you trust your own. At least I have that privilege, Praven. I know that my fellow Jedi would never strike me down. You, on the other hand, not so much. I don’t know about you, but I sure wouldn’t want to work with some Darth who will just get rid of me when I’ve out served my use” She retorts.

The Sith seems to pause, stunned for just a second. She could feel a hint of jealously and envy from her opponent, and she knew that she had hit the nail on the head. Even if she truly believed the Sith’s cruel ideals, she must have known that in the Jedi Order she would know that she would better off. She would never have to kill her master, never have to worry about all the backstabbing and politics of the Sith Empire. She would just serve the Republic. Her confusion lasts just a second, before she strikes Rey with lightning. She stands, immobilized, frozen by the Sith.

“You know _nothing_ , Jedi. I do not need your assurances. I know that my master will never betray me. I know I will live a long life serving the Darth Angral and the Empire.”

Her lightning twisted Rey in pain, and she writhed to try and get away. No amount of Force could free her from Praven’s grip. The Sith struck her face where she stood, marring her across and then down her face, causing her to scream out in pain. The scream shook the ground around them, freeing her from the hold and pushing Praven away from her. As she flew towards the edge, her lightsaber slipped from her grip as Rey pulled it lightsaber from her hand. Praven fell hard, skirting just over the edge, and as she held on for dear life, Rey held the two lightsabers, both her own and Praven’s to her face.

“Or perhaps not. At least my life meant something, Jedi. I saved thousands of Imperial lives. I’m ready to die for my cause.” She spat at her. Even in death, she faced it in dignity. Rey admired that in her, but she would never kill her.

“You don’t have to die.” She said, disengaging both lightsabers and holding out a hand to her. Hesitantly, the Sith took it. She pulled her up.

“Don’t taunt me, Jedi. I know your kind are just as ruthless and cunning as mine. Do it.” She looked at her in confusion, venom in her words and hatred in her eyes.

“You don’t have to die, Praven. Join the Jedi. What loyalty do you owe to the Sith?” The Sith looked even more confused at that, and her anger flared more.

“They have raised me for as long as I have known… taught me how to fight, given me all I have!” She paused, calming down a little, “I can’t abandon that just for fear of death. I don’t abandon my ideals just to survive, Jedi. I have dignity.”

The Sith thought she had insulted her.

“You aren’t abandoning your ideals, Sith. Our ideals aren’t as dissimilar as you may think. You want to serve your Empire, save lives of Imperials? What do you think drives me? I want to save the Republic. Surely, you can see we’re not too far apart?” She asked, sincerely. Her face turned to one of surprise, before she grew angry again.

“You want to kill my people! That is what drives you, the Sith Pureblood race are but a mark on history for you, one you are determined to wipe away, so get on with it!” She says, trying desperately to antagonise her, to break her cool Jedi temperament, but nothing could shake her. She stuck to her guns. Eventually, she would get through to her.

“We don’t want to kill you. We want peace, the same as you. Give me the code to the Shock Drum, Praven, and I’ll show you a new life as a Jedi.”

“My name is not Praven, Jedi. My name is Mysrai. Praven was the name given to me by Darth Angral.” She conceded, finally.

“You say the name with distaste. Why, Mysrai?” She asked, sensing the dissent among the ranks.

“Why do you care?” Mysrai said, staring at her venomously.

“I sympathise with you. I too grew up without parents to care for me. Had I been taken in by the Sith upon my mother’s death instead of the Jedi, I may have ended up down a similar path to you. Also, if you hadn’t noticed, I’m a Jedi. It’s kind of our thing.”

“You and I are not similar.” She replied, grimacing.

“We are more alike than you think. Tell me, Mysrai, why do you hold such disdain for your master?” She urged, determined not to let the subject drop.

The Sith sighed, giving up and telling her story.

“He is a cruel man, Jedi.” She looked away from her for a second. “He kills innocents for no reason. While I hold no regard for your Republic, the lengths to which he goes to to make your people suffer make even me turn away. Worst of all, he has no regard for even those within our Empire. But that is no matter. He has given me all I have. I will come with you, to shut down the Shock Drum, but I will not join you.” She said, determined. She could tell she meant it, but Rey knew she would convince her otherwise.

“You don’t wish to hurt innocents? See, we’re two peas in a pod!” Rey said, smiling.

“Whatever you say, Jedi.” Mysrai said, smiking a little.

“Reytte. My name is Reytte Sol.”


End file.
